(12-15-2022 03:23 PM)thehappyhuskie Wrote: [ -> ]https://niuhuskies.com/news/2022/12/15/w...coach.aspx
Sondra Parys, a former Loyola Chicago Assistant and Toledo alumna. Looks like a fairly solid background of winning. Her dad, Joe is an NIU Hall of Famer.
Dad is better known as all-time Huskie trivia answer.
Who is the only NIU men's basketball player who made his Huskie debut in an NCAA tournament game and never earned a varsity letter? Joe Parys was a walk-on with the 1981-82 squad and upon entering the NCAA first-round game against Kansas State made the box score via a foul.
(12-15-2022 06:02 PM)uiniu57 Wrote: [ -> ] (12-15-2022 03:23 PM)thehappyhuskie Wrote: [ -> ]https://niuhuskies.com/news/2022/12/15/w...coach.aspx
Sondra Parys, a former Loyola Chicago Assistant and Toledo alumna. Looks like a fairly solid background of winning. Her dad, Joe is an NIU Hall of Famer.
Dad is better known as all-time Huskie trivia answer.
Who is the only NIU men's basketball player who made his Huskie debut in an NCAA tournament game and never earned a varsity letter? Joe Parys was a walk-on with the 1981-82 squad and upon entering the NCAA first-round game against Kansas State made the box score via a foul.
That's awesome.
(He also had a rebound.) Just sayin
(12-16-2022 09:21 AM)chihuskie Wrote: [ -> ] (12-15-2022 06:02 PM)uiniu57 Wrote: [ -> ] (12-15-2022 03:23 PM)thehappyhuskie Wrote: [ -> ]https://niuhuskies.com/news/2022/12/15/w...coach.aspx
Sondra Parys, a former Loyola Chicago Assistant and Toledo alumna. Looks like a fairly solid background of winning. Her dad, Joe is an NIU Hall of Famer.
Dad is better known as all-time Huskie trivia answer.
Who is the only NIU men's basketball player who made his Huskie debut in an NCAA tournament game and never earned a varsity letter? Joe Parys was a walk-on with the 1981-82 squad and upon entering the NCAA first-round game against Kansas State made the box score via a foul.
That's awesome.
(He also had a rebound.) Just sayin
What's Huskie Basketball?
(12-16-2022 02:37 PM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote: [ -> ] (12-16-2022 09:21 AM)chihuskie Wrote: [ -> ] (12-15-2022 06:02 PM)uiniu57 Wrote: [ -> ] (12-15-2022 03:23 PM)thehappyhuskie Wrote: [ -> ]https://niuhuskies.com/news/2022/12/15/w...coach.aspx
Sondra Parys, a former Loyola Chicago Assistant and Toledo alumna. Looks like a fairly solid background of winning. Her dad, Joe is an NIU Hall of Famer.
Dad is better known as all-time Huskie trivia answer.
Who is the only NIU men's basketball player who made his Huskie debut in an NCAA tournament game and never earned a varsity letter? Joe Parys was a walk-on with the 1981-82 squad and upon entering the NCAA first-round game against Kansas State made the box score via a foul.
That's awesome.
(He also had a rebound.) Just sayin
What's Huskie Basketball?
NIU had mens basketball back when they played in the Chick Evans Fieldhouse. They had good to great teams. Studwntscahowed up and made a lot of noise. Then I don't know 2hat happened to them, kinda lost track.
Evans could be walked from dorms even in winter, and with other buildings around and being lower in the Watson Creek watershed, had some wind blockage. The Convo is further away, higher up and with almost no windscreen up to the lobby entrance.
The Convo project also was wrapped in opposition, with even the Northern Star opposed. Students from the start never took to it like old Evans. Evans was a much friendlier design for fans.
(12-16-2022 04:05 PM)pvk75 Wrote: [ -> ]Evans could be walked from dorms even in winter, and with other buildings around and being lower in the Watson Creek watershed, had some wind blockage. The Convo is further away, higher up and with little windscreen. The Convo project also was wrapped in opposition, with even the Northern Star opposed. Students from the start never took to it like old Evans. Evans was a much friendlier design for fans.
I love the Convo, a shame its off by itself in a corner of campus, zilch foot traffic. Hopefully the big-*ass Center for Community Sustainability creates some more flow in that direction.
Also, Evans had tradition, which the Convo had none. The Convo was also never finished; e.g., cost-cutting kept the east and west concourse from being completed (check an aerial, you can see the gaps). A part of student athletic fee income even today is also paying off the remaining bonds.
(12-16-2022 04:08 PM)NIUfilmmaker Wrote: [ -> ] (12-16-2022 04:05 PM)pvk75 Wrote: [ -> ]Evans could be walked from dorms even in winter, and with other buildings around and being lower in the Watson Creek watershed, had some wind blockage. The Convo is further away, higher up and with little windscreen. The Convo project also was wrapped in opposition, with even the Northern Star opposed. Students from the start never took to it like old Evans. Evans was a much friendlier design for fans.
I love the Convo, a shame its off by itself in a corner of campus, zilch foot traffic. Hopefully the big-*ass Center for Community Sustainability creates some more flow in that direction.
I too love the Convo. Evans Fieldhouse was warmer and more exciting, but the Convo is a true basketball area as opposed to a glorified gymnasium. We know there are issues with the Convo, but it's a nice place to watch a game. In addition, the video scoreboard is fantastic.
Now, if only I could buy a hot dog in the Convo! (Of course, I could just wait for them to throw Red Hot Chicago dogs into the stands and fight a kid picking one off the floor.)
All jokes aside, me and my friends too a liking to Huskie basketball. Despite how awful they were, we were there during the Xavier Silas days. Of whom provided some scoring excitement.
What was cool was how large and empty the stadium was. Because there wasn't much to do in DeKalb that time of the year, we would get loaded and go to games to shout at the opposing bench. Despite wins or losses. Also cool was all of the freebies. Chipotle burritos, t shirts and hats. Of which were handed out to the first 500 fans, of whom we never ever got to that point anyway, so we always ended up with seconds or thirds.
But yeah, it was hella far off campus and there was no other reason to be there than to go to Huskie Basketball, of whom many others never found as entertaining as our small group did.
Hey not totally dissing the Convo. It has it better moments. Just not as user friendly for those on campus to walk. BTW, someone told me that NIU has the largest campus bus system in the state. If true, maybe a campus bus port would be a good project. They could add a semi-enclosed walkway along a loop drive from the 4-lane west causeway. Then they'd only have to complete the east-side concourse, since you could go around the seating bowl from there. Just thinkin'.
What students are walking past Chick Evans these days at 6:30 pm? There was no internet to keep people at home back then. The convo is not to far away from the dorms. Huskies start winning for a couple of years and they will start to draw 3-4k. College basketball has a average of about 5K for all teams combined and is probably lower than that since the Pandemic. Even during Montgomery and Patton tenures there were a couple of 2-3k and I believe against SIU a 4k crowd with tons of SIU fans. The bus will take students to the convo and back to dorms.
(12-16-2022 02:37 PM)HawaiiToNIU Wrote: [ -> ] (12-16-2022 09:21 AM)chihuskie Wrote: [ -> ] (12-15-2022 06:02 PM)uiniu57 Wrote: [ -> ] (12-15-2022 03:23 PM)thehappyhuskie Wrote: [ -> ]https://niuhuskies.com/news/2022/12/15/w...coach.aspx
Sondra Parys, a former Loyola Chicago Assistant and Toledo alumna. Looks like a fairly solid background of winning. Her dad, Joe is an NIU Hall of Famer.
Dad is better known as all-time Huskie trivia answer.
Who is the only NIU men's basketball player who made his Huskie debut in an NCAA tournament game and never earned a varsity letter? Joe Parys was a walk-on with the 1981-82 squad and upon entering the NCAA first-round game against Kansas State made the box score via a foul.
That's awesome.
(He also had a rebound.) Just sayin
What's Huskie Basketball?
It's something that was shat on by Ricardo Patton and then band-aided by a likable fellow named Mark Montgomery who had the best of intentions and was, by all accounts, a stand-up and respectable fellow but wasn't able to fully clean the disgust left in the bowl by the previous occupant and is now being managed by an even more respectable fellow, and relatively local product, in Rashard Burno.
Mr. Burno has his work cut out for him for sure. But he seems like a guy with good qualities and an effect on the boys that inspires a work hard ethic and...by golly...you can't ask for much more.
Or the moon....many ask for the moon.
(12-16-2022 04:05 PM)pvk75 Wrote: [ -> ]Evans could be walked from dorms even in winter, and with other buildings around and being lower in the Watson Creek watershed, had some wind blockage. The Convo is further away, higher up and with almost no windscreen up to the lobby entrance.
The Convo project also was wrapped in opposition, with even the Northern Star opposed. Students from the start never took to it like old Evans. Evans was a much friendlier design for fans.
Yeah it’s to far from the dorms. It’s too tall or too short. The doors face the wrong direction. It’s not as old as the fieldhouse. Everyone misses sitting on wooden bleachers. Everyone hates that they sell beer at the convo. Chick Evans had smiles painted on the doors.
Please stop these bull… excuses because that’s all they are.
(12-17-2022 12:42 AM)niu1980 Wrote: [ -> ] (12-16-2022 04:05 PM)pvk75 Wrote: [ -> ]Evans could be walked from dorms even in winter, and with other buildings around and being lower in the Watson Creek watershed, had some wind blockage. The Convo is further away, higher up and with almost no windscreen up to the lobby entrance.
The Convo project also was wrapped in opposition, with even the Northern Star opposed. Students from the start never took to it like old Evans. Evans was a much friendlier design for fans.
Yeah it’s to far from the dorms. It’s too tall or too short. The doors face the wrong direction. It’s not as old as the fieldhouse. Everyone misses sitting on wooden bleachers. Everyone hates that they sell beer at the convo. Chick Evans had smiles painted on the doors.
Please stop these bull… excuses because that’s all they are.
Per Google Maps:
Stevenson Tower to Chick Evans Field House (walking): 8 minutes
Stevenson Tower to Convocation Center (walking): 6 minutes
Grant Towers to Evans: 9 mnutes
Grant Towers to Convo: 11 minutes
Patterson Hall to Evans: 5 minutes
Patterson Hall to Convo: 13 minutes (3 minutes driving, 13 minutes on the bus)
Neptune Hall West to Evans: 6 minutes
Neptune Hall West to Convo: 18 minutes
As far as apartments goes...I have no clue where kids live these days. So...I'll guess:
Northern View Apartments to Evans: 23 minutes
Nothern View Apts to Convo: 10 minutes (by car 2 minutes)
Linconshire West Apts to Evans: 14 minutes
Linconshire West Apts to Convo: 14 minutes
University Plaza to Evans: 9 minutes
University Plaza to Convo: 21 minutes (most kids have cars so 4 minutes)
Are any of these travel times so outrageous they're deal breakers? We act like the Convo is in another town. Sure, the weather sucks in the winter, but NIU students (when I was there) trudged though it if we wanted to. At least the Convo gives the option to drive to for students. You absolutely were not driving to Evans.
(12-17-2022 12:42 AM)niu1980 Wrote: [ -> ] (12-16-2022 04:05 PM)pvk75 Wrote: [ -> ]Evans could be walked from dorms even in winter, and with other buildings around and being lower in the Watson Creek watershed, had some wind blockage. The Convo is further away, higher up and with almost no windscreen up to the lobby entrance.
The Convo project also was wrapped in opposition, with even the Northern Star opposed. Students from the start never took to it like old Evans. Evans was a much friendlier design for fans.
Yeah it’s to far from the dorms. It’s too tall or too short. The doors face the wrong direction. It’s not as old as the fieldhouse. Everyone misses sitting on wooden bleachers. Everyone hates that they sell beer at the convo. Chick Evans had smiles painted on the doors.
Please stop these bull… excuses because that’s all they are.
Ouch. Pardon a little historical fact. If you paid attention, "these bull... excuses" are just nostalgic venting by one of the gray hairs. Of course attitudes have changed, TV/internet makes it easy to watch games without going anywhere, and it seems almost every student has a vehicle to go somewhere else. And the Fieldhouse has been converted to indoor tennis and perhaps other uses. It's not "coming back" the way it was.
But in more and more comments, here and on other threads, some of us are hoping for fundraisers on specific projects (other than just a few on the annual Huskies Invest). Some of us are still enthusiastic about what can be done to draw fans, realistic and doable improvements that we might go for ... if the A.Dept. ever remembers there are more of us than just the big donors.
How many times have we posted this: "... 10,000 fans each giving $100 generates the same $1 million as 100 fans each giving $10,000."
BTW ... r.e. the OP ... I attended volleyball matches in the Fieldhouse where attendance was easily over 2,000. Winning solves a lot of problems. Victor E Gym seats 800, and on an earlier thread we lamented that nothing was done so net posts could be anchored in the main Convo floor if the Gym was too small. (The Fieldhouse had two anchor holes drilled in the floor under the bball overlay.) The suggestion came *before* the point was proven: Sept. 2021 vs. #2 Wisconsin, reserved seating only, Gym sold out.
Above (you missed it?) I suggested using the existing large campus bus system via a bus port add-on, and completing the east concourse so fans could get around better. Read some of the other threads for more from more of us. Some good ideas around. And none of this is rocket science.
(12-17-2022 05:20 AM)pvk75 Wrote: [ -> ] (12-17-2022 12:42 AM)niu1980 Wrote: [ -> ] (12-16-2022 04:05 PM)pvk75 Wrote: [ -> ]Evans could be walked from dorms even in winter, and with other buildings around and being lower in the Watson Creek watershed, had some wind blockage. The Convo is further away, higher up and with almost no windscreen up to the lobby entrance.
The Convo project also was wrapped in opposition, with even the Northern Star opposed. Students from the start never took to it like old Evans. Evans was a much friendlier design for fans.
Yeah it’s to far from the dorms. It’s too tall or too short. The doors face the wrong direction. It’s not as old as the fieldhouse. Everyone misses sitting on wooden bleachers. Everyone hates that they sell beer at the convo. Chick Evans had smiles painted on the doors.
Please stop these bull… excuses because that’s all they are.
Ouch. Pardon a little historical fact. If you paid attention, "these bull... excuses" are just nostalgic venting by one of the gray hairs. Of course attitudes have changed, TV/internet makes it easy to watch games without going anywhere, and it seems almost every student has a vehicle to go somewhere else. And the Fieldhouse has been converted to indoor tennis and perhaps other uses. It's not "coming back" the way it was.
But in more and more comments, here and on other threads, some of us are hoping for fundraisers on specific projects (other than just a few on the annual Huskies Invest). Some of us are still enthusiastic about what can be done to draw fans, realistic and doable improvements that we might go for ... if the A.Dept. ever remembers there are more of us than just the big donors.
How many times have we posted this: "... 10,000 fans each giving $100 generates the same $1 million as 100 fans each giving $10,000."
BTW ... r.e. the OP ... I attended volleyball matches in the Fieldhouse where attendance was easily over 2,000. Winning solves a lot of problems. Victor E Gym seats 800, and on an earlier thread we lamented that nothing was done so net posts could be anchored in the main Convo floor if the Gym was too small. (The Fieldhouse had two anchor holes drilled in the floor under the bball overlay.) The suggestion came *before* the point was proven: Sept. 2021 vs. #2 Wisconsin, reserved seating only, Gym sold out.
Above (you missed it?) I suggested using the existing large campus bus system via a bus port add-on, and completing the east concourse so fans could get around better. Read some of the other threads for more from more of us. Some good ideas around. And none of this is rocket science.
The Huskie bus line already goes to the convo for athletic events. My point is where the convo is, is not an excuse for not going to events so why does it keep getting brought up.
I thought this thread was about a new volleyball coach……I must be mistaken.
(12-17-2022 08:27 PM)HuskieDave Wrote: [ -> ]I thought this thread was about a new volleyball coach……I must be mistaken.
Sorry, you are correct.
I believe she is walking into a good situation. Barring any transfers there is talent on this squad and with her winning experience she should be able to immediately get us to the next step which is getting to the MAC tournament.
Also I wish the best for Coach Ray. Having met with him many times I can tell you he has been good to the sport and good for our university.
Apologies for my part in the derailment of this thread. Call it a habit, but an oldster like me believes that every positive change could be a launching pad for better facilities that support teams and programs. Better facilities enhances attendance, recruiting and options for use. NIU has failed to do that many, many times over the 5+ decades I've been a student, alumnus, fan and supporter.
I'm hoping this new v-ball coach gets it done, wbb continues to rise and Burno gets the men's team going. And gymnastics and wrestling continue to make good marks. I go back to the days of Pete Waite (v-ball), Jane Albright (wbb) and Tom Jorgensen (mbb). So I'm spoiled. But I have never been a one-sport fan.
R.e. Huskie Stadium, another old-timer once told me something like "the two teams can go play in a field somewhere and the game still counts ... the stadium is for the fans." That is just as true of the Convo. Maybe with the five housed in the Convo being successful, perhaps then a series of projects can be launched to make it a premier facility that people want to be at to support the teams.
So ... the last derail. Now back to your regularly-scheduled programming.